Laughter is unique to man. This delightful anthology presents some of the funniest extracts in English literature. David Timson starts with Anglo-Saxon riddles and continues with medieval memories, Tudor comic turns, and Restoration buffoonery. The rise of the novel in the eighteenth century brought classic humour from Swift, Sterne, and Smollet, passing the mantle to Charles Dickens in the nineteenth century. Included here are rarities as well, from the antiquarian's cupboard. There are also excerpts from children's literature and twentieth-century classics as diverse as Dorothy Parker and P.G. Wodehouse. An entertainment from start to finish.

We have met the intrepid hunter-tracker Allan Quatermain before, in Rider Haggard's marvellous King Solomon's Mines. This time, grieving from the tragic loss of his son, Quatermain longs to return to his beloved Africa. He sets out in search of a lost white tribe, the Zu-Vendis, ruled by two beautiful sister Queens. Once again, Quatermain's companions are the indefatigable Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good, and the magnificent Zulu warrior Umslopogaas. The journey is incredibly dangerous, and thrillingly told. After a fantastic underground journey by canoe, our heroes are embroiled in a bloody civil war when both queens fall in love with the irresistibly handsome Curtis.

This is the second volume in the poignant yet amusing tale of the perky red-headed Anne of Green Gables. This classic of children's literature is set in Canada at the beginning of the century and is one of the bestselling titles in children's literature ever.

Conan Doyle (1859-1930) will always be remembered for the character of Sherlock Holmes, but he was a prolific writer—of short stories, of science fiction and historical fiction1including The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard. In his comprehensive biography, Pearson considers how his life is reflected in his books—including his background as a doctor and his enduring (and public) belief in spiritualism.

Barnaby Rudge, one of only two historical novels by Dickens, deals with the 'Popery' riots of 1780. Read here by one of Britain's most popular readers, Sean Barrett, (his reading of Bleak House was widely praised) in a useful abridgement. The recording is part of the extended Dickens collection offered in both abridged and unabridged form by Naxos AudioBooks. The only available version of the novel on audiobook.

Like Tom Jones before him, Barry Lyndon is one of the most lively and roguish characters in English literature. He may now be best known through the colorful Stanley Kubrick film released in 1975, but it is Thackeray who, in true 19th-century style, shows the darker side of this 18th-century hero; hence it remains a startling novel. Following the death of an English officer, Barry flees his native Ireland and attempts to establish himself as one of England's aristocratic elite. Through backstabbing and scheming he reaches the level of society to which he always aspired. However, intent on criticizing the period's social order, Thackeray ensures that this success is soon followed by the hero's ultimate decline. Jonathan Keeble's energetic reading imbues the period with color and illuminates the sheer inventiveness of Thackeray's literary and topical satire.

Melville's Bartleby is a classic American short story, a strange tale of an assiduous copyist whose catch-phrase is 'I would prefer not to.' It is joined here by two other stories from The Piazza Tales, Melville's idiosyncratic collection: The Lightning-Rod Man, and The Bell-Tower.

Ben Hur could be said to be the first blockbuster. When it was published in 1880, it sold over two million copies and was translated into numerous languages. It combines all the best elements of popular classic, epic, and action story against a background of authoritative historical detail. The pace and immediacy of Ben Hur was the basis of its appeal to film-makers—Charlton Heston's portrayal of the title role is one of the classics of the cinema. Wallace's original novel has been largely forgotten now, but as this vivid reading shows, the story—together with the sweeping rhythm of the writer's prose—make it ideally suited to the audiobook.

Continuing where Thus Spoke Zarathustra left off, Nietzsche's controversial work Beyond Good and Evil is one of the most influential philosophical texts of the nineteenth century and one of the most controversial works of ideology ever written. Attacking the notion of morality as nothing more than institutionalised weakness, Nietzsche criticises past philosophers for their unquestioning acceptance of moral precepts. Nietzsche tried to formulate what he called 'the philosophy of the future.' Alex Jennings reads this new translation by Ian Johnston.

Bulldog's back! This time, there is a plot to foment a revolution in England, a plot that has left the Police baffled and the nation at the mercy of a master criminal. A disguised clergyman, a beautiful sidekick, an arcane poison, car chases, and abductions all fail to see off Hugh Drummond and his gang of ex-Army friends. But when the plotters capture Drummond's wife, the game is up…isn't it? Undaunted, charming, brave, and resourceful, Bulldog Drummond is an archetypal English adventure hero, and the forerunner of The Saint and James Bond.

When the dashing Jack Carstares is unfairly accused of cheating at cards, he leaves the country in disgrace. Returning some years later disguised as a highwayman, his reappearance heralds a dramatic chain of events that includes a Duke, a damsel, a duel, and not one, but two kidnappings. Written when she was just seventeen, The Black Moth was Heyer's first novel, but it bears many of the hallmarks of her later romances, being vivid, witty, and peppered with historical insight.

When tulip-grower Cornelius van Baerle is framed for treason and sentenced to death, he is powerless against the brutal factional politics that put him in prison. But Rosa, the jailer's daughter, is beautiful and strong-willed, and when they fall in love she determines not only to save him but also to grow the near mythical flower: the black tulip. Set in the savage turmoil of Holland's late 17th century, this intimate novel celebrates the power of integrity over obsession, and tolerance over violence; and it creates in the black tulip a symbol of humanity's potential.

A dark night, a graveyard and the suspicion of murder…The Body Snatcher is one of Robert Louis Stevenson's most chilling tales. After many years, a chance encounter between two former medical students forces them to recall their sinister past and foul play that was better left buried. Perfect for long winter nights, these stories have been specially selected to create an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. Read by Roy McMillan, with Naxos AudioBooks' trademark of carefully chosen music.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky is a titanic figure among the world's great authors, and The Brothers Karamazov is often hailed as his finest novel. A masterpiece on many levels, it transcends the boundaries of a gripping murder mystery to become a moving account of the battle between love and hate, faith and despair, compassion and cruelty, good and evil.

The Eightfold Path is the most widely known formulation of the Buddha’s teaching. It is ancient, reaching back to the Buddha’s very first discourse, and it is highly venerated as a unique treasury of wisdom and practical guidance. The teaching of The Eightfold Path challenges us to grasp the implications of that vision, and asks us to transform ourselves in its light. Like the teaching itself, this work covers every aspect of life.